Musical Modes: How to Use Different Modes in Music

What is the Theory of Modes?

The modal theory is the concept and key construction of the various types of modes. At the first glance, the modes of music seem very complex and difficult to understand, but if you dig a little deeper, it becomes simpler to grasp and interesting to use. As such, modes are just variations of the major scales. In other words, the major scales are basic forms derived from the modes of music. In fact, major and minor scales are synonyms for two of the modes that we will see below.

What are the Modes of Music?

Musical modes can be defined as an arrangement of intervals and tones in a fixed pattern for any given note. There are seven modes in music:

1. Ionian (i-o-nee-in): Also known as major scales, this is the most well-known of all the modes. The intervals in this scale create tension and release.
2. Dorian (door-e-in): When any scale in the ionian mode is played with its second note as the first, it becomes a scale in the dorian mode. It ends on an incomplete note.
3. Phrygian (fridge-e-in): The phyrgian mode of any key is when the ionian mode of that key is played with the third note as its first. The notes of this mode gels well with ionian scales.
4. Lydian (lid-e-in): If the 4th note of the major scale is used as the first note, the result is the Lydian mode of that scale. It has a surprising blend of majors and minor notes.
5. Mixolydian (mix-o-lid-e-in): Any major scale starting with the 5th note of its root key scale becomes the Mixolydian Mode of that scale. It’s a blend of mostly major notes with few minor notes in between.
6. Aeolian (a-o-lee-in): When the 6th note of a scale is played as the first note, then the scale thus formed becomes its Aeolian Mode. It is commonly called the minor scale.
7. Locrian (lo-cree-in): When the first note of a scale is actually the 7th note of the root key in the major scale, it is called the Aeolian Mode of that root key. Mostly theoritical, the Locrian Mode is rarely used due to unworkable mixture of major and minor notes.

An easy way to remember the names of all the modes is by remembering that ‘I Dislike Philip, Like Mary And Lucy’.

Basics of Scales in Music

Before understanding the construction of modes in music, few concepts related to musical scales need to be understood.